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Hi! Am planning a cruise on Eclipse, to Canary Islands on 10/5/14. Will be staying at the Grosvenor, Victoria Station. Does Celebrity have transport to the cruise terminal from London? If so, what is the fare cost and is it the best transport option? Also, any comments on the hotel will be appreciated.

Thanks

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Most cruise lines - pretty certain that includes Celebrity - operate transfer coaches from Victoria coach station to the ship on sailing-day.

That's pretty handy for you.

 

But http://www.nationalexpress.com/ operate a scheduled service from Victoria coach station at a fraction of the cost, typically £6 to £12 per person.

Only difference is that ship's transfer coach takes you to the ship, the Nat Express service takes you to Southampton coach station. From there it's a level 15 min walk (OK in decent weather for most folk with rolling luggage) or a three minute £6 taxi ride - there's a taxi rank at the coach station.

NB on Nat Express' website ignore references to "cruise terminal", it applies only to Fred Olsen cruises & it will take you to the wrong terminal at significantly higher cost - your destination is Southampton coach station.

 

Train is another option, as are private transfers & a tour-transfer coach. Browse other Southampton threads on this forum for details

 

JB :)

 

JB :)

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Most cruise lines - pretty certain that includes Celebrity - operate transfer coaches from Victoria coach station to the ship on sailing-day.

That's pretty handy for you.

 

But http://www.nationalexpress.com/ operate a scheduled service from Victoria coach station at a fraction of the cost, typically £6 to £12 per person.

Only difference is that ship's transfer coach takes you to the ship, the Nat Express service takes you to Southampton coach station. From there it's a level 15 min walk (OK in decent weather for most folk with rolling luggage) or a three minute £6 taxi ride - there's a taxi rank at the coach station.

NB on Nat Express' website ignore references to "cruise terminal", it applies only to Fred Olsen cruises & it will take you to the wrong terminal at significantly higher cost - your destination is Southampton coach station.

 

Train is another option, as are private transfers & a tour-transfer coach. Browse other Southampton threads on this forum for details

 

JB :)

 

JB :)

 

John, You are my go to guy for all things UK. Help us before. Booked a LHR terminal 1 to Southampton for 30 pounds. I remember walking to the Holiday Inn per your instructions. What is the walking path direct to cruise terminal ????

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John, You are my go to guy for all things UK. Help us before. Booked a LHR terminal 1 to Southampton for 30 pounds. I remember walking to the Holiday Inn per your instructions. What is the walking path direct to cruise terminal ????

 

I'm presuming this is the National Express coach from Heathrow.

For Southampton coach station to City cruise terminal (the only cruise terminal sensibly walkable), you have two choices - via dock gate 10 or dock gate 8.

 

Via dock gate 8 (next to Holiday Inn) is marginally the shorter, and it's the route you know.

At the roundabout at the back of the coach station you'll see the ship ahead of you. Take the road to your left (toward the big John Lewis store). Follow that road across another roundabout & past the Premier Inn and Carnival Cruise UK head office to the road at the end (West Quay Road). Use the traffic lights here to help you to cross the road & go left, toward Holiday Inn. Short-cut through the Hol Inn carpark (if you don't fancy stepping over the low railing to the carpark, walk a bit further where there's a proper entrance) & the dock gate is the other side of Holiday Inn.

Cruise terminal is very obvious, a few hundred yards from the gate.

 

JB :)

Edited by John Bull
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I'm presuming this is the National Express coach from Heathrow.

For Southampton coach station to City cruise terminal (the only cruise terminal sensibly walkable), you have two choices - via dock gate 10 or dock gate 8.

 

Via dock gate 8 (next to Holiday Inn) is marginally the shorter, and it's the route you know.

At the roundabout at the back of the coach station you'll see the ship ahead of you. Take the road to your left (toward the big John Lewis store). Follow that road across another roundabout & past the Premier Inn and Carnival Cruise UK head office to the road at the end (West Quay Road). Use the traffic lights here to help you to cross the road & go left, toward Holiday Inn. Short-cut through the Hol Inn carpark (if you don't fancy stepping over the low railing to the carpark, walk a bit further where there's a proper entrance) & the dock gate is the other side of Holiday Inn.

Cruise terminal is very obvious, a few hundred yards from the gate.

 

JB :)

 

Ironically , when we stayed at the Holiday Inn the last time, the Gate there(8) was closed and we had to go all the way up to Southern road and then down Solvent.(10) Do you think that is the case always???

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Ironically , when we stayed at the Holiday Inn the last time, the Gate there(8) was closed and we had to go all the way up to Southern road and then down Solvent.(10) Do you think that is the case always???

 

Gate 8 is only used for City cruise terminal, it's normally locked (and un-manned) when there's no ship at the terminal - fairly frequent in the winter months.

 

But unless you headed for the terminal at about 4am ;) I've never heard of it being closed when a ship is turning round.

Did it catch out hundreds of others too?

 

JB :)

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John, More questions. Do you know port website to determine if the Nov 9th arrival is at City/Ocean or Mayflower. Maybe that would help what gate to take.

 

Not JB but check here

 

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/

 

Looks like the City terminal ..so far

 

http://www.cruisesouthampton.com/planners/southampton-cruise-terminals

Edited by LHT28
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John, More questions. Do you know port website to determine if the Nov 9th arrival is at City/Ocean or Mayflower. Maybe that would help what gate to take.

 

City Terminal,as Number 28's link.

And that's (nearly?) always Celebrity's terminal.

 

Your post is the only time I've heard of Gate 8 being closed when a ship is turning round, I think you can put that down as a one-off.

Gate 10 can be used for either City or Mayflower, I've even snuck in via gate 20 when traffic's been bad.

 

Wouldn't be Ocean, that's a Carnival-funded terminal - so woe betide any Celebrity captain who tries to berth there :D

Ocean & QE11 terminals via gate 4 (and gate 5 under construction) are in a different part of the docks.

 

JB :)

Edited by John Bull
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Most cruise lines - pretty certain that includes Celebrity - operate transfer coaches from Victoria coach station to the ship on sailing-day.

That's pretty handy for you.

 

But http://www.nationalexpress.com/ operate a scheduled service from Victoria coach station at a fraction of the cost, typically £6 to £12 per person.

Only difference is that ship's transfer coach takes you to the ship, the Nat Express service takes you to Southampton coach station. From there it's a level 15 min walk (OK in decent weather for most folk with rolling luggage) or a three minute £6 taxi ride - there's a taxi rank at the coach station.

NB on Nat Express' website ignore references to "cruise terminal", it applies only to Fred Olsen cruises & it will take you to the wrong terminal at significantly higher cost - your destination is Southampton coach station.

 

Train is another option, as are private transfers & a tour-transfer coach. Browse other Southampton threads on this forum for details

 

JB :)

 

JB :)

JB...We are staying in Westminster & need to get to Southampton on Sat June 14th..Is Victoria station the only one to leave from? Would we just take a taxi to the station? Nat'l Express shows a station in Westminster, but only show times for Mon-Friday. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Linda

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JB...We are staying in Westminster & need to get to Southampton on Sat June 14th..Is Victoria station the only one to leave from? Would we just take a taxi to the station? Nat'l Express shows a station in Westminster, but only show times for Mon-Friday. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Linda

 

Hi Linda,

If you want to take the coach, then it's from Victoria coach station direct to Southampton coach station (don't select "cruise terminal", that's only for Fred Olsen sailings & will take you to the wrong pier).

A coach from Westminster (coach stop, not station) actually means a coach heading for Victoria coach station, where you change to a Southampton coach. This means hanging around at a coach stop (& for a coach which may be running late) and may be an inconveniently-timed connection meaning more hanging around. For that short distance involved, even if coaches were available, I'd be inclined to hop into a taxi for Victoria coach station.

 

Or consider the train.

Regular tickets from London Waterloo (3 trains per hour) cost about £36 but if you pre-book through http://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx currently they'll cost only about £10 or £15 -cheaper if you'd booked earlier cos it's fluid pricing - tickets available from about 6 weeks out.

You have to pre-book, specify a train time, no amendments. And available for only a few of those trains per day, though there are a couple of trains (09.39 & 11.39) that suit your cruise departure. If you miss your assigned train you'll have to throw away your tickets & buy full-price tickets at the station.

Megatrain/Megabus is a bucket-ticket shop owned by a consortium of travel operators, including SW Trains who operate the Waterloo-Southampton service, to promote off-peak sales. So it's a safe & respectable operator & website.

Megatrain tickets on this route mon-sat, not sundays.

 

If you choose the train, book soonest cos Megatrain prices only go up.

 

£5 to £10 taxi hop from Southampton coach or rail stations to any cruise terminal

 

JB :)

Edited by John Bull
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Hi John,

 

I am going to impose on your London knowledge if you don't mind.

 

Planning transfer from Heathrow to Southampton, considering using the National Express coach. Is it a reasonable walk from terminal 3 to the central bus station? I will likely have one roller bag and a tote or back pack. Looks ok on the airport map but hard to tell.

 

Thanks!

 

Mary

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JB...We are staying in Westminster & need to get to Southampton on Sat June 14th..Is Victoria station the only one to leave from? Would we just take a taxi to the station? Nat'l Express shows a station in Westminster, but only show times for Mon-Friday. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Linda

 

 

We took the train from the Waterloo station and it was great. Many times to choose from, as well as on time and comfortable. Signage is very clear. No trouble finding the right track and train at the huge terminal.

We took a cab over the river to Waterloo from our hotel and then another short cab ride at the S.ampton train station to the port. It was a fun experience.

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Hi John,

 

I am going to impose on your London knowledge if you don't mind.

 

Planning transfer from Heathrow to Southampton, considering using the National Express coach. Is it a reasonable walk from terminal 3 to the central bus station? I will likely have one roller bag and a tote or back pack. Looks ok on the airport map but hard to tell.

 

Thanks!

 

Mary

 

According to the info on the link below, it's just a short walk.

 

 

http://www.heathrowairport.com/transport-and-directions/buses-and-coaches/coaches

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John,

Thanks for the info-it's invaluable! I took your advice & booked the train tickets! We'll just get a taxi from our hotel when we get there.

You are amazing:D. This must be a full-time job for you-just wondering if you ever get time to travel???

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We took the train from the Waterloo station and it was great. Many times to choose from, as well as on time and comfortable. Signage is very clear. No trouble finding the right track and train at the huge terminal.

We took a cab over the river to Waterloo from our hotel and then another short cab ride at the S.ampton train station to the port. It was a fun experience.

 

Thank you for your input! Who needs travel agents ??

Sometimes there is too much info on CC, it makes it hard to make a decision.lol

Edited by snownomore
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John, Wayne again. This time instead of going to Southampton, I need to get from Heathrow to Harwich cruise terminal. I don't see that National goes there. Other options?????

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John, Wayne again. This time instead of going to Southampton, I need to get from Heathrow to Harwich cruise terminal. I don't see that National goes there. Other options?????

 

Train is usually recommended for Harwich, although if you're going straight from LHR it's a bit of a fiddle, as you have to go thru Central London and change train stations. Most convenient would probably be Heathrow Express/Connect - taxi from Paddington to Liverpool St. station - train to Harwich.

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John, Wayne again. This time instead of going to Southampton, I need to get from Heathrow to Harwich cruise terminal. I don't see that National goes there. Other options?????

 

As an Irish friend of mine would say, "the best way to get to Harwich is not to start at Heathrow".

Not easy by public transport.

 

It's possible by a combination of Nat Express to Colchester, then walk or taxi or train 1.2 miles to Colchester Station, then train to Manningtree, then another train to Harwich pier. But as you can see, it's kinda convoluted & over 3 hours total.

 

Or into central London by a variety of options to Liverpool Street station, then train to Harwich pier from about £8 (involves a change at Manningtree unless you take the much more expensive "cruise train"). That train journey about 80 minutes.

If you choose this route I'd advise a pre-booked private transfer from Heathrow to Liverpool St station. Should be about £50, should take under an hour.

 

Private transfer from Heathrow direct is 115 miles, something over 2hrs - sometimes a lot over 2 hrs. Financially viable for most folk if there's at least four of you.

 

There's a privately operated cruise bus (google London Toolkit) but the Heathrow pick-ups are only at hotels and if you miss the bus you've blown your money.

 

Ship's coach transfer.

Very rarely is this a worthwhile & cost-effective option for just two people.

This is probably one of those rare occasions ;)

 

JB :)

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We took the train from the Waterloo station and it was great. Many times to choose from, as well as on time and comfortable. Signage is very clear. No trouble finding the right track and train at the huge terminal.

We took a cab over the river to Waterloo from our hotel and then another short cab ride at the S.ampton train station to the port. It was a fun experience.

 

I think that's exactly what we will do. What hotel did you stay in while visiting London?

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Can anyone suggest how to get from Sothampton Pier to Harwich Pier ? We are coming in on Cunard (Southampton Pier) and must get to Harwich to board Celebrity. Everything I look at is over $300 USD for 2 people. I know there must be a more reasonable company out there.

Thank so much!

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Can anyone suggest how to get from Sothampton Pier to Harwich Pier ? We are coming in on Cunard (Southampton Pier) and must get to Harwich to board Celebrity. Everything I look at is over $300 USD for 2 people. I know there must be a more reasonable company out there.

Thank so much!

 

In very round figures, $300 is £200.

The journey is over 170 miles, from south-west of London to north-east of that city, and £200 sounds very reasonable for a private transfer - many would charge you considerably more. Bear in mind that for this particular journey the prospects of an operator getting a reverse booking to tie in are slim, so you're also paying for 170 empty miles.

http://www.smithsforairports.com and http://www.aquacars.co.uk are about the most competitive, both are well-established & reputable, and offer a reliable service.

Don't expect to get much cheaper than either of these.

 

You can do it much more cheaply by public transport, but it's a little difficult & time-consuming - you have to travel into London, cross central London, then London to Harwich :

 

Taxi to Southampton coach station or rail station, about 10 mins, £8 to £10.

 

Direct National Express coach from Southampton coach station (not cruise terminal, that only applies to Fred Olsen cruises) to Victoria coach station in central London. Costs about £7 pp, journey time 2.5 hrs. Pre-booking very strongly advised. On a random date the 08.30 or 09.20 would suit.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/

or

Direct train from Southampton central rail station to London Waterloo. Costs about £36 pp, journey time about 90 minutes, several trains per hour, pre-booking not required but may save a little on the fare.

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search

 

In London, from Victoria coach station or Waterloo rail station to Liverpool Street station (nb Liverpool Street, not Liverpool). Can be done cheaply by tube (metro) but with luggage probably best by taxi, about £20 / 20 minutes.

(If you opt to travel by public transport, ask again about tube from Victoria or Waterloo to Liverpool Street - a Londoner can advise just how easy or difficult with luggage)

 

From London's Liverpool Street station to Harwich International the train journey takes about 1hr 20 & costs about £8 to £10. Hourly service. There is one change of train, at Manningtree, this involves stairs down from the platform & up at the adjacent platform - very simple unless mobility/luggage is a problem. There is a direct "cruise train" around 12.30 which means no need for that Manningtree change, but the fare is loaded - expect it to be about £30 per person.

All trains stop at Harwich International, which is right alongside your ship.

I guess you need to aim for the 1pm train from Liverpool Street at the latest.

 

Cheapest option is taxi to Southampton coach station, coach to Victoria, tube to Liverpool Street, regular train to pier, total about £45 for two. I'll leave you to do the maths for the other options.

 

An unexpectedly long & expensive journey?

Blame the cruise lines for their misleading "London" for both cruises, instead of into "Southampton" and out of "Harwich". :(

 

JB :)

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